Online sales of threatened cacti an open door for illegal tradeUnregulated sale of endangered species of plants such as cacti on major e-commerce websites like eBay and Amazon has threatened their survival, a new research has found. These plants are also offered via online stores based in the US, France, Germany, Australia, the Czech Republic, the UK & others.

India, EU sign MoU to clean rivers"I have seen in Europe how beautifully water is flowing there. I hope our country would learn from it," Water resources minister Uma Bharti said at an MoU signing ceremony at the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

NGT directs Delhi govt to shut pickling units in cityNoting that pickling units fall under prohibited list of industries as per Master Plan 2021, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi government to shut down such industries units located in the national capital with immediate effect.

Donald's lewd talk gives Hillary the edge in pollsHillary Clinton is tightening her stranglehold on the US Electoral College despite her relatively passive performance in the second debate, with polls showing she is now leading in most battleground states, including Florida, Pennsylvania, and marginally in Ohio too.

Islamic State confirms death of propaganda chiefIslamic State on Monday confirmed the death of its propaganda chief, whom the Pentagon said was killed in a US-led air strike in Syria last month. An statement posted online by the militant group paid tribute to Wa'il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad.

Gene therapy may treat Alzheimer's: StudyInjecting a specific gene directly into the brain may offer a potential new therapy for halting the progress of Alzheimer's disease, especially when treated at an early stage, a new study has claimed.

Apple slashes prices of iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus by up to Rs 22,000Apple has announced biggest-ever price drop for its smartphones in India. Under the new pricing, iPhone 6S (128GB), carying an MRP of Rs 82,000, will now be available at an MRP of Rs 60,000. iPhone 6s Plus (128GB) will now be available at an MRP of Rs 70,000, the smartphone too has received a price cut of Rs 22,000. Apple's 4-inch smartphone iPhone SE, too has got a price cut. The 64GB version of iPhone SE will now be available at Rs 44,000.

Fate of several foreign students in medical colleges uncertain after SC's ruling on NEETHundreds of foreign students who had enrolled this year for undergraduate programmes in private medical colleges in India now face an uncertain future due to a "tricky" domestic legislation regarding entrance examination for them. Foreign students in India come to pursue MBBS or BDS courses either through an institutional quota system, like in government colleges, or by directly applying to private colleges.

Kodagu mulls shutting down dangerous Chelavara fallsWaterfalls and rivers along the Western Ghats in Karnataka have always been the crowd-pullers. But some of them are turning out to be too dangerous. The scenic Chelavara falls in Madikeri taluk of Kodagu is in the centre of a fresh controversy because of the rising number of deaths in the last few years. Alarmed by the casualties since the onset of monsoon this year, the Kodagu district administration is contemplating a ban on tourists at the Chelavara waterfall.

Venkaiah calls BSNL staff to work hard to face competitionUnion urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu called upon the employees of BSNL to work hard and bring the organisation back to profits. Naidu was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Andhra Pradesh Telecom circle in the presence of union minister of state for communications Manoj Sinha, minister of state for science and technology Y S Chowdary and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu here on Tuesday. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the AP Postal circle.

Skating rink opens at Xavier's Loyola HallA 200-metre banked skating rink was inaugurated at St Xavier's Loyala Hall school on Monday . The rink, built at the cost of Rs1.5 crore, is claimed to be the first such rink built in the state to match international standards.

Poor children to get 5,000 aidChildren from weaker sections of the society studying in private schools under Right to Education Act (RTE)-2009 would be given Rs 5,000 for purchasing books and uniforms for the ongoing academic session.

Rains affect efforts to contain JE outbreakIn an attempt to contain the outbreak of Japanese encephalitis (JE) which has already claimed 44 lives in a single month, the Malkangiri district administration has decided to provide additional nutritional support to children aged between 6 months and 6 years and pregnant women from Monday.

Corporator held for threatening rape survivorPolice on Sunday arrested Prasant Patnaik aka Tuna, the corporator of ward 21 of Berhampur Municipal Corporation on charges of threatening a rape survivor to give false evidence in a case occurred two years ago here.

Virgin tiger leaves mates high and dry in BhopalA tiger named Bandhu at Bhopal's Van Vihar National Park is apparently taking his name too seriously -it wants to be a friend without benefits. Every time they take him near a tigress, he shies away. Bandhu has a harem of sorts to choose from but he just isn't interested.